Blessings of Calligraphy
by Arhani 'Hanny' Daforcena
Summary: Master Piandao has given Zuko, Katara, Aang and Toph sets of calligraphy as wedding presents, in the form of couplets and they reflect on them. Post Sozin's Comet, Zutara/Taang. MUAHAHA! Used to be Peace Under All Heaven. Full poem in my profile! RNR PLs!
1. 水善火烈，天下太平 Zuko & Katara

AN: The Chinese characters in the Avatar universe context are all derived from . , excluding 天下太平. Yes, I am Chinese educated. The full constructed poem is in my profile page, with translations!!

Going through the immense numbers of wedding gifts, given to them by their friends and family, countless allies, well-wishers and supporters, Zuko would have thought that he and Katara would have a full year before they could finish writing all the thank-you notes. Among them, were two twelve-by-twelve feet long calligraphy pieces, hand-written by Master Piandao using a huge brush, with the application and adaptation of Fire-Bending techniques and a mixture of vermillion and ink, red and black, the colors of the Fire Nation. There were four characters in each of the pieces, one stating: 水善火烈, and on the other, it was 天下太平. These eight words meant the world to the young souls who had aided the Avatar in his quest to restore balance to the world, they who had crossed the boundaries of war, hatred and death to find happiness in one another, their union smiled upon by all who loved them, and all they loved. These strips of silk, they were hung in the royal suite of the Fire Lord and the Fire Lady, framed in gold and silver, to forever remain in their sight, hearts and memories.

水善, it had meant the Element of Water, for it was Benevolent, forgiving and ever-changing. And just like Water, she flowed long, powerful and stubborn, for no river had ever changed its course. From the moment she had decided to help the Avatar in his quest to save the world, she had remained true to her cause without even the thought of faltering in her way. Using her powers of Water-Bending, she had defended and healed those who needed her most, carving her own name into the annals of history as the girl who gave hope to those who had none; and now, she would once again carve her own name, as the woman who would aid her husband in restoring order and balance back to the Fire Nation with her husband, and that of the world.

火烈, it was Fire. Fire was ferocious; fire was Strong, passionate and courageous. This was Zuko, son of the House of Agni. Honor-bound and pure-hearted, this soul was never one that was able to give in to mindless, senseless rage and hatred easily (only his forebears and deranged sister were capable of that). As Iroh had put it, he was an idealist, constantly chasing everything he had believed in. For a certain part of his life, he had chased after the Avatar in hopes of restoring his honor in his father's eyes, and then, he had given it all in the name of redemption and his responsibility as a son of Agni to ensure the re-entry of balance in his own Nation and his world.

In truth, 水善火烈 did not mean only Zuko and Katara as individuals. It was also an allegory of their love. Water and Fire were opposites, very much like them, as well as Benevolence and Strength. Yet, when the hand of Fate had given the decree, they were one of the same; two halves of a whole that needed to be completed. Although both of them were completely stubborn, he had needed her benevolence to aid in his redemption, while she had required his passion to find her own. Theirs was a spark that could not be erased, for none could say when one might overpower the other, nor could any deny that each of them brought total balance to the other. It had led to the birth of their love, and the healing of their own individual wounds, brought on by the War that had lasted a full century…

Of course, there was 天下太平, meaning "Peace in all below heaven". This was the goal shared not only by Zuko, Katara and the Avatar. It was the goal of all who lived and breathed in their world. When there was peace, there could be progress, there would be wealth for even the meanest peasants, and there certainly be Balance. Piandao had given these four characters to the Fire Lord and the Fire Lady to remind them of this very important notion that the world must be kept in balance in order to prosper, hoping that in their newfound political influences, they would be able to hold true to what they had fought for that led to the ending of the War. In their later years, it would lead them to the sheer understanding of the need for peace, not only to erase the suffering of all around them, but as a service to Nature, and the Universe itself, for they had known the terrible effects of imbalance, of pain and tyranny. It would all end when天下太平 could be achieved, they were sure of it.

"水善火烈, 天下太平" Zuko recited after the servants in the royal Fire Nation Palace had put the calligraphy pieces up in their chambers, with his wife near him, also admiring the hidden meanings of these eight characters, and the superior craftsmanship that Piandao had in his many years of practice and application. "I'd never thought that they would carry so much meaning to me." He was born to a country that prided itself with war, one in which her Benders drew on anger and rage to power their souls and minds. He would change all of that, he was sure of it. He was sure to achieve his goals. That was why he had changed the characters of his name from "祖寇", the Ancestral Usurper, to "苏科", the Resurrected Rule, despite the fact they sounded the same in the dialects of the Fire Nation. He would renew the face of the Fire Nation, and redeem her, just as he had redeemed his own honor and his own soul, he was sure of it.

Katara smiled at her husband, and did not utter a word. Zuko was always the brooding, angst-ridden warrior, and even after two years of peace (and three days of marriage); there was no clear indication of him existing in any other way. Placing her head on his broad shoulder, she exhaled a sigh and closed her eyes, turning the sounds of the chirping birds, his steady breathing and heartbeat into a lullaby of her own, and slept in his arms, tired after a long day of attending to court matters, sparring with her Fire-Bending husband, and the various official functions they had to attend.

It did not take Zuko long to notice that Katara had fallen asleep, following which he dutifully transported her to her place on the bed of silken sheets the color of the purple dawn, yet another culmination of their love and heritages. He kissed her on the forehead and wished her good-night before focusing his attention of the calligraphy pieces again. He knew that whatever the cost or the challenge, he and Katara would ensure Peace flowed to every corner under Heaven. He was sure of it.


	2. 土强气和，国泰民安 Toph & Aang

"Young Avatar, these are my gifts to you and Master Bei Fong," Master Piandao said to Aang at the banquet of his wedding to Toph, handing to Aang, a twelve by twelve calligraphy piece, much alike that of Katara and Zuko's, and to Toph, an embroidered version of the words written on Aang's gift, so that she could feel the words with her own hands. This time, the couplet read土强气和 国泰民安, and was directed to the newlyweds who were in essence, elemental opposites, yet individuals alike in mind.

土强 was the Power of the Earth. Toph, without a doubt, had personified the namesake of her Element. Despite her blindness, she could still "see" by sensing the vibrations of the earth, aided by her superior senses of hearing and touch. In the face of adversity, she remained strong and vigilant, like a mountain threatened by raging winds, immense floods and burning flames. This child had aided in the defeat of the Phoenix King's fleet of airships at the Battle of Wulong Forest at the tender age of twelve, and was the only known human to have mastered and _invented_ the art of Metal-bending… She was nothing like the world had ever seen before, a child, with the mind clearer than any other. Perhaps it had been her lack of physical sight that brought her this much insight? She was able to see what others could not, and most of the time, it was such talents that had saved her and her companions from utter defeat. "Thank you, Master Piandao," she said to Piandao with a deep bow. Now at the age of eighteen, she was even more beautiful than she was before, having grown much taller and curvier, the envy of most women, and the desire of almost every man, she had become the Master that she knew for a long time she would be, the prodigious Earth-bender loved and known by all.

Avatar Aang smiled at Toph's reaction to Piandao's gifts. Indeed, he could find subtle ways to inspire others in the simplest of gestures. Looking at the two words that described his own Element, 气和, the Gentleness of Air, his eyes, they lit with a light of wise reflection... Air might not have the strength of the Earth, the sheer ferocity of fire and the soft violence of water, but it conquered all by its adaptability and diversity. As an Air-bender, he had proven that the sole use of Chi combined with manual movements that was the various methods of Bending did not be restricted to consist only of physical violence and strength, but also with the application of the mind, and the upholding of the notion of peace. In an age where war was rife and rampant, he was the only voice that had sought a peaceful solution, and finally managed to restore balance by using Energy-bending to disable Ozai's Fire-bending capabilities, out of his own beliefs, and the gentleness of his own soul. That was six years ago, six very long years ago.

国泰民安 was the testament of what the world was enjoying now. Every single country had peace from within and with the others, while the entire world prospered with trade and security, the citizens of the world, safe beyond belief. Everything that everyone had fought for finally came true, and there would be nothing in this world to stop it from happening. Balance reigned supreme, and now, all that was there to do, was to sit back, relax, and count their blessings, and ensure that no fool would repeat the sins of those who had threatened to bring the world into darkness once again…

"They carry great meaning, young Avatar," Iroh said with a hearty laugh upon looking at the couplets, while the proceedings of the wedding banquet continued. "土强气和 国泰民安 are not just mere words, they are our hope for the future." When even opposites like Earth and Air could be united as one, it was most certain that the every single citizen of each country would be safe, and prosper as their abilities would allow. It was that simple. Balance was essential, most definitely, and the famed Dragon of the West knew very well that these two young souls could bring every single meaning of the word to life. Then, a playful smirk came across Iroh's features. "And the pressure is on you, Avatar Aang, to reintroduce Air-benders into our world once again with the aid of your lovely wife."

His words made Toph blush almost immediately. She might be blind, but it did not mean that she was deaf. As much as she knew between the comings and goings of man and woman, with or without marriage, she still had not thought about having children yet. However, due to the fact that even Katara, a Master Water-bender could bear a Fire-Bending princess was a testament that she could be able to have children whose Elements were total opposites of hers would not be an obstacle at all… "Uh, thank you, Uncle Iroh," she chuckled, trying to hide her apparent embarrassment.

No sooner would Aang take hold of her hand reassuringly did Sokka make an announcement out of the blue. "Hey, why don't we play a drinking game?" he asked, a question that almost all the men gave out a rousing positive answer. Having said thus, he picked the fan off Suki's hand and put it on a circular plate, which was placed on the floor. "We'll have Aang to spin the fan with some Air-bending, and whoever the fan points to will have to think of another four words to add to the poem that Master Piandao had given to Zuko, Katara, Toph and Aang, and whoever is unable to do so will have to drink a whole pint of Earth Kingdom ale!"

"Now, this is getting interesting," Zuko whispered into Katara's ear as she placed a dainty morsel of food through her lips. "It is the first time that I had seen your brother showing the world that he actually has a brain…" It was a mere jest; of course, the Fire Lord had utmost respect for his brother-in-law, who turned out to be an expert weapons-maker, engineer and physicist, for the motion of a drinking-game that needed a huge amount of literary skills to produce four-word couplets spontaneously would rarely pass by his mind.

After successfully getting the attention of all the guests, Master Piandao told them that the first two parts of the poem were 水善火烈 天下太平， 土强气和· 国泰民安·. After the first two couplets were recited, a dead silence ensued. Everyone was busy thinking of what words could be used to add to the poem, wrecking their heads until Toph rang a small bell. Aang then bent a gust of wind over the fan, followed by the tiniest tornado, which spun the fan until it stopped at… Zuko, much to the Fire Lord's own chagrin.

"So, what will it be, o Fire Lord?" Sokka asked teasingly, secretly hoping to see the expression on Zuko's face the moment that pint of Earth Kingdom ale was set before him. If he had not remembered correctly, the young Fire Lord was not partial to any form of alcohol at all, a strange trait of a Fire-bender, but not entirely foreign at all, and it would be… amusing to see him trying to gulp it down. "Eight words or a nice, cold pint of ale?"

Clearing his throat, Zuko muttered to his brother-in-law, "You are lucky that we are not in the Fire Nation, and that I am married to your sister." Somehow, he knew that something like this would happen to him sooner or later, what with Sokka being in charge of the banquet's entertainment and all. Without even breaking a sweat, the Fire Lord said, "降世神通，威力无穷" which meant the Avatar had limitless powers, clearly honoring the groom. Ah, how he loved the look of defeat on Sokka's face.

"强制暴君，非战不绝!" proclaimed Hakoda when the fan pointed to him, followed by Bumi, who decided to drink an entire flagon of ale instead, citing that the Chief of the Southern Water Tribes had practically finished the poem by stating that the Avatar had brought down the tyrant while never giving up without a fight. Anyways, the people of the Water Tribes rarely consumed alcohol, while Hakoda had found a particular distaste towards Earth Kingdom ale…

Thus, the drinking game continued, until a fully fledged poem was formed. It read:

水善火烈，天下太平，

土强气和，国泰民安。

降世神通，威力无穷，

强制暴君，非战不绝！

火君苏科，叛国不悔，

见败不馁， 见残不忍。

苏科安昂， 合力降贼，

神通火君， 名闻天下！

"This is a great peace of work!" Iroh proclaimed, reading the finished product. It sang full praises of the deeds of the Avatar and the Fire Lord, ending with the fact that their names would never be forgotten. It was an ending of a saga that took a hundred years to complete, and the total beginning of an entirely new one, one that would begin in peace and love, and one with an ending that would never, never end. For the generations to come, they named this poem, created in the happiness of the Avatar's wedding, and the peace of the world: the Blessings of Calligraphy, and was propagated all over the Four Nations.

【Translation：The benevolence of Water and the Strength of Fire will lead to Peace Under all Heaven. The power of Earth and the gentleness of Air would lead to the Prosperity of the Nations and the Safety of the People. The Avatar, with his Limitless Power, has defeated the Tyrant, never giving up without a fight! Fire Lord Zuko, fears to betray his country, he does not admit defeat, nor does he tolerate cruelty. Zuko and Aang, in their alliance has brought down the fiend, the names of the Avatar and the Fire Lord, shall be known under all heaven! 】


End file.
